Morality

Below is a PowerPoint presentation I made when teaching Morality to Third Year students. I used Martin Luther King as an example of a Moral Model. I began the lesson by discussing with the class the main characteristics of a moral person. I asked the students if they could identify any examples of a moral person in today’s society. I asked the students if they had a prior knowledge of the issue of civil rights for black people in America.

The students were shown a video clip which outlined the life and works of Martin Luther King and they were asked to answer the following questions:

Who was Martin Luther King?

How were black people treated during the 1950s?

Who was the lady who would not give up her seat on the bus?

What did Martin Luther King do for the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956?

How was Martin Luther King treated by white people?

Was the Montgomery Bus Boycott successful?

What Bill was passed in 1964?

What happened to Martin Luther King?

The students were then divided into groups and they were asked to engage in a brief discussion of the issue of racism and civil rights in America and the importance of Martin Luther King as a moral model in society. Each group was asked to identify and summarise any comparisons there may be between Martin Luther King and Jesus. Each group was asked to provide examples to explain any of the comparisons that they may have identified.

The lesson ended with showing the students Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech from August 28th, 1963.

Below is a PowerPoint presentation I made for teaching Third Year students about Morality. It outlines the main definitions associated with morality, the different kinds of moral behaviour, steps towards making a moral decision and identifies where our morality comes from. It also includes a number scenarios which students can discuss and decide what they would do in each situation. This powerpoint would be suitable for senior Religious Education classes also.